You hit on an important factor, Dave. Those who have only had store-bought garlic, are used to the mild taste and lack of heat. Heirloom, gourmet garlic has many times the flavor but it is pungent as well. Some varieties have an early heat that dissipates quickly, some have a sneaky heat that seems mild at first but then builds in the mouth, and some is just, well, extremely hot. We use chopped garlic all the time for marinates and in salads. Heck, when we have pizza delivered, we will often chop up some cloves and sprinkle it over the pizza. I will then pop it into the oven for ten minutes at 375-400F. If we cook, we generally use garlic.
I don't know that of all the varieties I have grown, some 30 now, I have ever had a "sweet" garlic, one without pungency. I taste every single variety I harvest, just a sliver, you understand. I like to tell folks what they can expect.
